Sourcing perry from China
Perry from China carries UK customs duty of £4.80 to £16.00 per hectolitre, depending on carbonation and container size. Alcohol Duty is separate, so confirm the recipe and strength before ordering. Organic imports need a certificate of inspection. Cambridge China Bridge sources perry.
Perry customs duty depends on presentation
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2206 covers other fermented beverages, including perry, and certain beverage mixtures. For goods from China, sparkling perry carries £16.00 per hectolitre. Still perry carries £6.40 per hectolitre in containers holding 2 litres or less, or £4.80 per hectolitre in larger containers. The supplied facts contain only these perry-specific lines.
The supplied perry lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Each attaches an organic import control. For organic perry from China into Great Britain, obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment, issued by the exporter’s control body, and check the exporter’s control body and country against the recognised organic registers. An approved UK organic control body must certify the importing food business.
Confirm the recipe, carbonation and container capacity with your customs broker using our commodity code guide. See the cider guide for the wider heading. Alcohol Duty is charged separately on imported alcoholic products; customs classification does not always determine excise liability. When reviewing the duty and VAT calculation, budget for import VAT at 20% and ask your customs broker to confirm the taxable value, including how customs and Alcohol Duty are treated.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling perry | 2206 00 31 00 | £16.00 per hl | None |
| Still perry in containers holding 2 litres or less | 2206 00 51 00 | £6.40 per hl | None |
| Still perry in containers holding more than 2 litres | 2206 00 81 00 | £4.80 per hl | None |
Specify the pear recipe and finished perry
Request the complete recipe and manufacturing record: pear juice or concentrate, apple juice, added sugar, flavourings, preservatives and processing aids. Agree alcoholic strength, sweetness, acidity, clarity, sediment tolerance and carbonation against an approved sample. HMRC’s permitted perry ingredient guidance limits apple juice, fresh or concentrate, to 25% when used in making perry.
Specify bottle or keg capacity, closure, pressure suitability, case packing and storage conditions. For Great Britain sales, confirm the applicable label requirements with the relevant food authority, including the food name, net quantity, business name and address, alcoholic strength and allergen information. Have the recipe and artwork reviewed before printing through testing and certification.
Inspection checklist
Liquid: compare aroma, sweetness, acidity, colour and sediment with the approved sample; investigate unexpected haze or sourness.
Laboratory: check alcoholic strength and sulphites against the recipe, label and agreed specification; review batch microbiological results.
Packaging: check fill quantity, leaking closures, bottle damage and carbonation retention after transport.
Documents: match batch records, analysis reports and label versions to the shipment; for organic goods, check the certificate of inspection and certification documents.
What goes wrong
A pear-flavoured drink may be offered against a brief for fermented pear juice. Recipe substitutions can change the taste and require a fresh duty classification review. Other risks include excessive sediment, renewed fermentation, loss of carbonation and leaking closures. Compare arrival samples with retained factory samples using the inspection guide.
A quote covering customs duty alone misses Alcohol Duty. Obtain the full recipe and strength evidence before costing the shipment. The supplied perry duties are charged per hectolitre, so a percentage-based worked example would misstate their calculation.
Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on perry from China?
Sparkling perry carries £16.00 per hectolitre. Still perry carries £6.40 per hectolitre in containers holding 2 litres or less, or £4.80 in larger containers. Alcohol Duty is separate.
Is pear-flavoured cider the same specification as perry?
Do not rely on the sales name. Request the fruit juice composition, fermentation record and every added flavouring, then compare these with your perry brief and approved sample.
Can I import organic perry from China?
For Great Britain, arrange certified organic import operations, check the recognised organic registers and obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment from the exporter’s control body.
What should I check before buying bottled perry?
Check the recipe, alcoholic strength, sweetness, acidity, carbonation, sulphites and sediment. Agree bottle and closure performance, review the label artwork and match analysis reports to the shipment batch.